I'll Be Home Soon
by Dora Liir-Took
Summary: She tried hard to believe that both of them were just as real as Harry or the Weasley's or Andromeda's old cat who sometimes jumped up and joined Teddy in bed.  The only difference was that they never said anything and you couldn't see them.


There was a sippy cup on the floor of the bedroom. It laid on its side and was busy spilling its contents into the carpeting. Instinctively, Harry bent down to pick it up and laid it beside the sleeping boy in the tiny bed. But not before he lifted the cup to his nose to smell its contents.

Chocolate milk.

Smiling, Harry looked down at his godson and began to wonder what Teddy was dreaming about.

The boy's imagination must have wandered when he slept because his hair was changing a plethora of colors quite rapidly. Pink then canary yellow then lime green then fuchsia then peacock blue then black then ginger. His eyes were closed tightly and his arms were wrapped round the stuffed owl Mrs. Weasley had given him on his second birthday. It was a personal favorite. The toy was made to look like a snow owl and Harry always wondered if Mrs. Weasley had made it in that likeness as homage to Harry's first pet, Hedwig. Nonetheless it made both Teddy and Harry happy.

The room was painted blue. In the corners you could still see the purple paint coming through from when it used to belong to Teddy's mother. The closet was full with clothes, a few loose games, a miniature toy broomstick and lots of picture books. Stranded across the floor were the rest of Teddy's toys—more stuffed animals (some made by Mrs. Weasley and some bought from a store), a couple action figures and one very old fire engine that had at one point belonged to his maternal grandfather. There were pictures of dragons tacked up to the walls and even one small picture of a puppy Teddy had found in a magazine and loved. Right above the boy's bed, though, there was another picture.

Andromeda knew she didn't want it to seem like she was creating a shrine of Dora and Remus but she also wanted to be sure Teddy never wondered what they looked like. She tried hard to believe that they were there, always watching over their son and keeping tabs on the mischief he got into it. That both of them were just as real as Harry or the Weasley's or Andromeda's old cat who sometimes jumped up and joined Teddy in bed. The only difference was that they never said anything and you couldn't see them.

Dora was the only one looking at the camera. Her eyes were bright and her hair was a deep violet color. She occasionally pointed at the squirming bundle in her husband's arms as if to say, "Look what I did!" Remus was holding the newborn Teddy up for the camera, showing him off as if he were made of gold but his eyes were focused on Dora and he even bent down and put his forehead against her face. He said a wordless joke and both parents laughed.

It had been nearly four years but there still wasn't a time that it didn't pain Harry.

When he spoke, he did so quietly even though Teddy was too lost in his own dreams to ever be disturbed. Even so Harry did it gently as if feeling he had taken enough away from the boy.

"Funny thing," Harry began, "…really funny…through some really sad events, Teddy, I never got to know my parents either. I had a little bit of time with a godfather but not enough…" His voice broke and he had pause for a second to regain himself, "…you and me, Teddy. We're a lot alike….

"But it's going to be different," Harry promised, "because I'm going to be here. I'm going to be here and you're going to know. I'm going to be here to take you to Quidditch matches and…talk about girls…and write you letters when you're off to Hogwarts…and see you off to the platform…I'm going to be here, Teddy…"

And with that, he began to cry.

"I'm going to be here to tell you how wonderful your parents were. Don't think for a second I'm going anywhere…"

Looking out the window, Harry noticed the wind blowing and it pushed aside some clouds. The street was suddenly bathed in moonlight. Perhaps Andromeda was right.


End file.
